Device for applying traction



Jan. 14-, 1964 F. T. WRIGHT 7' 33 7.5

DEVICE FOR APPLYING 'IRAC'II.I6N Filed Dec. 1. 1961 Z'ShQeE-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Jan. 14, 1964 F. T. WRIGHT DEVICE FOR APPLYING TRACTION 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 1, 1961 F 5 m o 7 M w v 5 gm 5 n! FRED T. WRIGHT ATTORNEY S United States Patent 3,117,572 DEVICE FOR APPLYING TRACTION Fred T. Wright, Gastonia, N.C., assignor to Robert B. Jenkins, Gastonia, N.C. Filed Dec. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 156,282 6 Claims. (61. 128-75) The present invention relates to orthopedic devices and more particularly to an improved device for applying traction to the extremities of a patient.

Conventionally, devices for applying tension or traction, as it is commonly referred to by the medical profession, to certain parts of the body to provide the necessary orthopedic correction utilize a plurality of pulleys and flexible members or ropes which are positioned over the pulleys and are connected to the part of the body to which traction is to be applied. These devices further include suitable weight supporting members attached to the ends of the flexible members opposite from the parts of the patients body, which weight supporting members receive suitable weights thereon in an amount corresponding to the amount of traction to be applied. These weights are of varying amounts and are added to or removed from the weight supporting devices to achieve the desired traction.

It can readily be appreciated that considerable time and effort is involved in varying the amount of traction applied to the patients body, due to the necessity of adding or removing individual weights from each of the weight supporting members. Also, it is necessary that a variety of Weights and a suitable storage structure therefor be maintained for each of the conventional traction applying devices. Also, the weights are subject to being dislodged from the wei ht supporting members if the same are struck by the hospital attendants during their normal movement around the bed or the like on which the patient is reclining.

Further, the complicated arrangement of the flexible members, pulleys, weight supporting devices, and their attendant structure is unsightly and it is believed has a tendency to decrease the moral of the patient. Also, much time and effort is required to mount and dismount these conventional traction devices on or adjacent to the hospital bed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved traction applying device using moment principles of force whereby the necessity of adding or subtracting weights is obviated and therefore the necessity of having a supply of weights and a storage structure therefor is also obviated.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a traction applying device of the character described which includes one or more pivoted elongate moment arm members, flexible members connected at one end to said members and to the extremities of the patients body at the other end and means mounted on said moment arm members at points spaced from the pivot point thereof for applying a variable moment to said members whereby a variable force is applied to said flexible members.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a traction applying device which is compact, portable, and of an esthetic appearance which does not detract from the patients surroundings.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a suitable hospital bed having the traction device of the present invention mounted thereon, and on which a patient is shown in dotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the traction device shown in FIGURE 1;

3,117,572 Patented Jan. 14, 1%64 FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical section taken substantially along line 3-3 in FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially along line 4-4 in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric detail of the right hand pivoted member shown in FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURE 1, the traction device of the present inven tion is generally indicated at 10 and is shown mounted on the frame F of a bed B such as is used in hospitals or the like. Traction device it) comprises a housing 11 including a back Wall 12, side walls 13, top wall 14, bot tom wall 15', and front wall 16. Front wall 16 has a pair of generally rectangular openings formed therein which are closed by a pair of doors 20, 21 mounted on front wall 16 by hinges 22, 23, respectively (FIGURE 4), and are releasably held in closed position by spring latches 24, 25. Doors 20, 21 have suitable handles 26, 27 mounted thereon for manual opening and closing of the doors to allow access to the interior of housing 11.

A pair of brackets 30 have upper and lower vertically elongated slots 31, 32 formed therein which receive suitable headed bolts 33 therethrough which also penetrate through suitable openings formed in the rear wall 12 of housing 11. Bolts 33 threadably receive suitable wing nuts 34 on the opposite side of brackets 3%) from the headed end thereof to adjustably secure the brackets 30 to the rear wall 12 of housing 11 to allow the position of housing 11 to be adjusted relative to the frame F of the bed B. Brackets 34) have generally horizontal extending portions 35 at the upper end thereof and a downwardly extending portion 36 at the outer end of horizontal portions 35 for mounting of the brackets 3i) and the housing 11 on the frame F of the bed B or on any other suitable supporting structure. Horizontal portions 35, downwardly extending portions 36, and the adjacent portion of the remainder of brackets 36 preferably have rubber bumpers 37 mounted thereon to protect the frame F of bed B from damage. Housing 11 also includes a handle 38 mounted on the top wall 14 for manual carrying of the traction device from place to place rendering the same readily portable.

A pair of spaced bosses 4% are mounted on a plate member 41 by any suitable means such as welding 42 and extends perpendicularly outwardly therefrom to a point where they terminate in free end portions. Plate member 41 is mounted on the rear wall 12 of housing 11 by any suitable means such as welding 43. Bosses 4t} have longitudinally extending internally threaded openings 44 formed therein and communicating with the free end portions thereof. A pair of generally elongate moment arm members 45, 46 are pivotally mounted on bosses 49 by bolts 47, 48 extending through suitable bearings 50, 51 mounted by any suitable means in openings formed in offset portions 52, 53 formed integral with members 45, 46 adjacent one end thereof. Bolts 47, 48 are matingly received in the internally threaded openings 44.

Moment arm members 45, 46 have generally longitudinally extending elongate openings 54-, 55 formed therein, which openings extend substantially throughout the entire length thereof and serve to divide moment arm members 45, 45 into upper and lower portions 45a, 45b and 46a, 46b, respectively. Moment arm members 45, 46 have the ends opposite from offset portions 52, 53 tapered to increase the are through which members 45, 45 may pivot about their pivot points formed by bolts 47, 48. It is noted that boses 4% are spaced a sufficient distance apart such that members 45, 46 do not interefer with the pivotal movement of each other.

Weights il, 61 are slidably mounted on the lower portions 45a, 445a of moment arm members 45, 46 for movement therealong to vary the moment applied to moment arm members 45, 46. Weights 60, 61 are substantially rectangular and are divided into front portions 69a, 61a and rear portions 66b, 6111, each having a longitudinally extending groove formed in the forward face thereof of substantially the same width as the height of the lower portions 45b, 46b and of slightly greater depth than the thickness of these portions. Each of the rear portions 66b, 6112 also has an undercut portion adjacent the end thereof to receive said one end of the moment arm members 45, 46 therein.

Lower portions 45b, 46b of members 45, 46 are positioned in the grooves in rear portions 60b, 61b and front portions 690, 610 are secured to rear portions 6%, 61b by suitable screws 62 to sandwich the lower portions 45b, 46b therebetween. Front portions 69a, 61a have internally threaded openings formed therein which threadably receive lock bolts 63 therein which have handle portions 64 for manual rotation thereof to move the inner end of bolts 63 into locking engagement with the lower portions 45b, 46b of members 45, 46. Pointers 65 are mounted on front portions 60a, 61a of weights 60, 61 by suitable screws 65 and cooperate with suitable indicia 67 placed on the upper portions 45b, 46b of members 45, 46 which is calibrated to indicate the amount of traction being applied by the traction device It A connecting link 70 is pivotally connected to each of the upper portions 45a, 46a of members 45 and 46 by pivot pins 71. Links 70 include generally elongate vertical slots 72 formed therein for reception of hook members 73 fastened to one end of flexible members or ropes 74. Flexible members 74 are each guidingly supported by a pulley 75 mounted for rotation on a shaft 76. Shafts 76 are supported at opposite ends by a pair of spaced brackets 77 which are in turn dependingly mounted on the top wall 14 of housing 11 by any suitable means such as welding 80.

Flexible members '74 extend outwardly from pulleys 75 through suitable openings 81 formed in the rear wall 12 of housing 11 and are connected to the extremities of the patient at their other ends in a manner not shown. Flexible members 74 therefore transmit to these extremities the force applied thereto by moment arm members 45, 46 as a result of the moments created by weights 60, 61. Openings 81 have suitable grommets 82 mounted therein for reducing the friction caused by the engagement of the flexible members '74 with the sides thereof to increase the life of the flexible members. Grommets 82 may be formed of any suitable material, but are preferably formed of a plastic material having a low coefficient of friction.

While the above-recited structure for varying the force applied to flexible members 74 is preferred, it is to be understood that any suitable means for varying this force may be employed without departing from the spirit of the instant invention. In this regard, suitable means for varying the point of connection of flexible members 74 to moment arm members 45, 46 relative to the pivot points of moment arm members 45, 46 may be employed while maintaining weights 60, 61 fixed relative to these pivot points or the movable weights may be employed in combination with the movable points of connection.

A pair of bumpers 83, preferably formed of a rubberlike material, are mounted on the top wall 14 of housing 11 by any suitable means in a position to be engaged by the tapered ends of moment arm members 45, 46 when the same are pivoted upwardly about their pivots. Bumpers 83 prevent damage to the moment arm members or to the housing by such engagement and also reduce the noise which would be caused by engagement of members 45, 46 with the housing 11.

In operation, the outer ends of flexible members 74 are suitably connected to the extremities of the patient in conventional manner not shown herein. The inner ends of flexible members 74 are connected to links 76 by reception of hook members 73 in slots 72. Lock bolts 63 are loosened by manual rotation of handles 64 thereof .4 and the weights 60, 61 are slidably moved along the lower portions 45b, 46b of members 45 and 46 until the pointers aline with the indicia indicating the desired amount of traction. Lock bolts 63 are then tightened by manual rotation of handles 64 in the opposite direction to lock weights 60, 61 in the adjusted position on members 45, 46.

It is noted that the construction of the openings 54, 55 in members 45, 46 allow the center of gravity of weights 6t), 61 to be positioned directly below the pivot points of members 45, 46 such that no traction force is applied to flexible members 74. Also, it is noted that the amount of traction force applied by the moment arm members 45, 4-6 varies as the distance between the center of gravity of the weights 60, 61 and the pivot points of these members varies. Hence, the further weights 60, 61 are moved outwardly along members 45, 46 the greater the traction force applied to flexible members 74 and, hence, to the extremities of the patients body. It is further noted that the pivotal arrangement of the moment arm members 45, 46 allows movement of the extremities of the patients body without materially lessening or increasing the amount of traction applied thereto.

It will therefore be apparent that an improved traction device is provided which is readily portable, and which operates without the necessity of adding or subtracting weights from the force applying members and therefore is more easily and conveniently used.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for applying traction to the extremities of a patient comprising (a) a housing adapted to be supported adjacent the patient,

(11) at least one elongate moment arm member having a laterally extending off-set portion adjacent one end thereof,

(0) means penetrating through said off-set portion for pivotally mounting said elongate moment arm member on said housing,

(d) force transmitting means connected at one end to said moment arm member at a point spaced from said off-set portion and being adapted to be connected at the other end to an extremity of the patient, and

(e) weight means movably mounted on said moment arm member for movement from a first position wherein the center of gravity thereof is disposed directly beneath the pivot point of said elongate moment arm member to a plurality of selective positions spaced from the pivot point of said elongate member for applying a moment which is variable from zero to a predetermined amount of said moment arm member in a direction to apply a variable force to said force transmitting means.

2. Apparatus for applying traction to the extremities of a patient comprising (a) a housing adapted to be supported adjacent the patient,

(b) a pair of elongate moment arm members each having a laterally extending ofi-set portion adjacent one end thereof,

(0) means penetrating through the off-set portion of each of said elongate moment arm members for pivotally mounting said elongate moment arm members on said housing,

(d) an elongate flexible member for each of said moment arm members having one end connected to the moment arm members at a point spaced from the pivot point thereof and being adapted to be connected to the extremities of a patient at the other end,

(e) a rotatable pulley for each of said flexible members mounted on said housing above the correspond- (c) an elongate flexible member for each of said moing moment arm member and guidingly supporting ment arm members having one end connected theresaid flexible member intermediate the ends thereof, to at a point spaced from the pivot point thereof and and extending outwardly through the openings in said rear (f) weight means movably mounted on each of said 5 wall of said housing, the other ends of said flexible moment arm members for movement between a first members being adapted to be connected to the exposition wherein the center of gravity thereof is distremities of the patient, posed directly beneath the pivot point of said mo- ([1) a rotatable pulley for each of said flexible memment arm members and a plurality of selective posibers mounted on said housing above the correspondtions spaced from the pivot point of said moment 10 ing moment arm member and guidingly supporting arm members on the same side thereof as the point said flexible members intermediate the ends thereof, of connection of said fie ible members for applying and a variable tensile force to said flexible members. (8) weight means movably mounted on said moment 3. The structure set forth in claim 2 wherein said weight arm members on the same side of the pivot point means comprises a weighted member slidably mounted thereof as the point of connection of said flexible on each of said moment arm members and lock means members, said weight means being movable toward carried by each of said weighted members for locking the and away from the pivot point of said moment arm same in adjusted position on said moment arm members. members for applying a variable tensile force to said 4. The structure set forth in claim 2 wherein said flexible members. moment arm members are graduated and said weighted 6. The structure set forth in claim 5 including a pair members have a pointer carried thereby, said pointer and of brackets vertically adjustably mounted on said housing graduations cooperating to visually indicate the amount of and adapted to be removably supported by a bed and the traction being applied by said traction apparatus. like on which the patient is lying to mount said housing 5. Apparatus for applying traction to the extremities for vertical adjustment relative to the bed and hence the of a patient comprising patient.

(a) a housing comprising front, back, top and side walls defining a generally enclosed space therewithin, References 355% in tha file Of this Patent said rear wall having a pair of spaced apart open- UNITED STATES PATENTS ings therein and said front wall including door means I n providing access to the interior of said housing and 2 1235;? the enclosed space therewitbin, 1 4885 Uh! d A 1955 (b) a pair of elongate moment arm members pivotan ally mounted on said housing in said enclose-d space,

W if

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 117572 7 January 14 1964 Fred Ta Wright It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 31. for "horizontal" read horizontally line 68, for "hoses" read bosses line 69 for "interefer" read interfere column 5 line 19 for the claim reference numeral "2" read 3 Signed and sealed this 9th day of June 1964.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. APPARATUS FOR APPLYING TRACTION TO THE EXTREMITIES OF A PATIENT COMPRISING (A) A HOUSING ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED ADJACENT THE PATIENT, (B) AT LEAST ONE ELONGATE MOMENT ARM MEMBER HAVING A LATERALLY EXTENDING OFF-SET PORTION ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, (C) MEANS PENETRATING THROUGH SAID OFF-SET PORTION FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID ELONGATE MOMENT ARM MEMBER ON SAID HOUSING, (D) FORCE TRANSMITTING MEANS CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID MOMENT ARM MEMBER AT A POINT SPACED FROM SAID OFF-SET PORTION AND BEING ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED AT THE OTHER END TO AN EXTREMITY OF THE PATIENT, AND (E) WEIGHT MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID MOMENT ARM MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT FROM A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN THE CENTER OF GRAVITY THEREOF IS DISPOSED DIRECTLY BENEATH THE PIVOT POINT OF SAID ELONGATE MOMENT ARM MEMBER TO A PLURALITY OF SELECTIVE POSITIONS SPACED FROM THE PIVOT POINT OF SAID ELONGATE MEMBER FOR APPLYING A MOMENT WHICH IS VARIABLE FROM ZERO TO A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF SAID MOMENT ARM MEMBER IN A DIRECTION TO APPLY A VARIABLE FORCE TO SAID FORCE TRANSMITTING MEANS. 